Barrel lifting device



April 1957 E. R. KUGHLER 2,789,858

BARREL LIF'TING DEVICE Filed Aug. 20, 1953 INVENTOR EDWIN R. KUGHLER BY M M,M. 8

ATTORNE 5 United States Patent BARREL LIFTING DEVICE Edwin Russell Kughler, New York, N. Y. Application August 20, 1953, Serial No. 375,350 3 Claims. (Cl. 294-81) This invention relates to drum hoisting devices of the type used with cranes and other hoisting apparatus for lifting drums, barrels and other articles and loading them upon ships, trucks and the like.

Apparatus heretofore used for the purpose consists principally of pivoted grippers operating on the ice tongs principle, wherein the weight of the article on the grippers causes them to swing toward each other. Such apparatus is open to the objection that if the weight of a drum or other article is even momentarily removed from the grippers, they tend to swing open and release the article. With my improved device, the weight of the article, as in the ice tongs type of apparatus, holds the grippers in gripping position on the article, and in addition means are provided for mechanically holding the grippers in engagement with the article so that should the grippers be momentarily relieved of the weight of the article, they will not tend to open but will be held by the mechanical devices, thereby preventing the accidents which occasionally occur with the apparatus now in use.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which is extremely simple In construction, may be rapidly secured to and released from the article being transported, and which embodies few parts of rugged simple construction.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, and in said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the apparatus gripping an oil drum of standard construction;

51g. 2 is a transverse section on line 22 of Fig. 1; an

Fig. 3 is an end view of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the boom of a. crane such as employed for loading ships and the like. Suspended from the boom is a loop of chain 2, which chain is threaded through shackles 3 at each end of my barrel gripping device. The gripping device per se consists of a length of steel tube 4 somewhat shorter than the height of the drum or barrels to be handled. Supported in each end of the tube 4 are hooks 5 consisting of cylindrical shank portions having an easy sliding fit in the tube 4 and downturned ends 6 shaped to fit within the flanges at the ends of the oil drums. The hooks 5 are held against rotation in the tube 4 by a pin 7 working in the slot 7a in the side of the tube.

The inner ends of the hooks 5 are formed with extensions 8 provided with eyes for receiving the ends of tension spring 9 by means of which the hooks are drawn together to the extent permitted by the pin and slot connection with the tube 4. The shackles 3, as mentioned above, are pivoted to the projecting ends of the hooks 5 to receive the hoisting chain in the manner shown.

In operation, the hooks are normally held in their .in-

Fatented Apr. 23,

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ward positions by the spring 9 which is preferably of strength to exert about a one to two pound pull on the hooks. The crane is operated to bring the tube 4 in the position above the drum to be hoisted and the longshoreman standing at one end of the drum can readily manipulate the tube so as to hook the distant hook 6 over the flange of the barrel. He then pulls the hook 7 at the end where he is standing out of the tube against the tension of the spring 9 a sufiicient distance to clear the rim of the drum and then brings the hook downwardly so that the free end of the hook will snap under the rim of the drum when the hook is released.

I have found that a spring tension between one to two pounds is ample to hold the tube and the hooks firmly in engagement with the drum until the upward movement of the crane lifts the drum. As the crane moves upwardly, the chain slides freely through the shackles 3 attached to the hooks so that when the slack is taken out of the chain, the portion of the chain between the hooks will be drawn taut and the hooks will be positively held by the weight of the drum against outward movement.

In swinging the crane to bring the drum over the ship,

the momentum of the barrel may cause it to pull away from the hook at one end and, with the old ice tongs type of hoisting apparatus, the drum was occasionally released to such an extent that the hooks would open and drop the drum. With my improved device, the spring 9 holds the hooks in gripping position regardless of whether the weight of the drum is distributed evenly on the two hooks, with the result that no matter how rapidly the crane is swung to transfer the crane from the dock to the ship, the drum will not under any circumstances be released. When the drum is deposited in the hold of the ship and its weight no longer carried by the hooks, the hooks are readily disengaged from the drum by a crewman standing at one end of the drum where be normally has to stand in order to properly position the drum in the hold.

In the foregoing specification I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention designed primarily for handling oil drums by means of cranes and like hoisting apparatus. It will be understood, however, that my invention is not limited to the construction shown and described but that the same may be variously modified without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A barrel lifting device comprising a tubular member, hooks at each end of said tubular member said hooks having stems slidingly mounted in the ends of said tubular member, spring means for holding said hooks in their respective innermost positions and shackles on said hooks.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein means are provided for holding said hooks against rotation in said tubular member with the hooks extending in the same radial. direction from said tubular member.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the shackles extend in a direction radially opposite from the hooks and a suspension chain or cable is threaded through said hooks so that when the opposite ends of said chain or cable are attached to a lifting member the weight on the device will prevent separation of the hooks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 596,908 ONeill Jan. 4, 1898 2,515,918 Weeks et a1. July 18, 1950 2,573,216 Natoli Oct. 30, 1951 

